Bonfiglioli is constantly looking for new ideas and innovations to improve customer experience and help teams work.

This intuitive technology makes tasks in the workplace easier

Although innovation can be hard to measure, it has been suggested that investment in internal technology such as back-office functions or logistics operations is an excellent marker of how deep innovation runs in a company.

At Bonfiglioli, for example, we’re constantly seeking fresh ideas and technology to improve our customers’ experience and help our teams work more effectively. This innovative spirt is now on full display in our EVO plant after a recent project to transform how our warehouse operatives pick components for production orders.

The result of the project, a collaboration with our technology partner, Var Group, is a state-of-the-art “virtual pick to light” solution based on augmented reality. The technology works via a standard tablet which is fixed to the trolleys our operatives use to pick products in our warehouse: by utilising real-time information from our management software the tablets overlay onto the warehouse environment visual markers and acoustic signals that guide our teams towards the exact location of components.

The project was delivered by a multi-disciplinary team drawing on expertise from a range of Bonfiglioli’s functions. The team continually refined the technology to integrate it with our own needs. This involved several stages, including choosing and positioning markers in the warehouse; selecting the best device to interact with the markers; developing an interface between our management systems and the automated guided vehicles; and ensuring our operatives could fully test the system so they were comfortable with the solution.

The benefits of the project have been immediate. Picking times and errors have been reduced, which translates into a more streamlined customer experience. And, thanks to the intuitive technology, on-the-job training for new operatives is now significantly easier, in line with our commitment to empowering people through digitalisation.

However, this is only the first phase of the project. A second stage, which began in September, will see the addition of technology that helps our picking team place products in trolleys in the optimum production line-feeding position.

CycloneCarrier  from Swisslog, with attributes; dynamic, reliable and efficient that make it a best-in-class shuttle system. Depending on the configuration CycloneCarrier offers an hourly throughput of up to 2,000 infeeds and outfeeds per aisle. It can handle a wide variety of cartons, trays and totes. As part of a complete solution for light-goods handling, CycloneCarrier seamlessly integrates into efficient logistics processes; for example, as a feeding engine for goods-to-person picking or an intelligently designed buffer system for order consolidation.

Designed for the most demanding requirements

CycloneCarrier was designed for industries where high throughput and maximum availability are essential. It is particularly well-suited for the requirements of the e-commerce, pharmaceutical and fresh food industry.

Storage & Transport

High storage density and excellent dynamics are the two, key characteristics of CycloneCarrier. This innovative shuttle storage and retrieval system offers double to multi-deep storage of totes, trays and cartons. CycloneCarrier combines high performance with maximum availability and is able to transport even critical goods safely and securely. In addition, the system is suitable for storage environments with temperatures as low as -30°C.

High reliability

CycloneCarrier ensures reliable operation with minimized downtimes. To perform service and maintenance, it is possible to shut down only the affected levels. The shuttles are easy to reach through built-in maintenance aisles and offer a plug & play design for quick replacement.

Vehicle

Each storage level is equipped with one shuttle vehicle. Vehicles are available in two versions:

▪ Fixed width for the load handling device

▪ Flexible and adjustable load handling device

The load handling devices ensure reliable control. The clearance for the “fingers”, which pull or push the cartons or totes, is checked prior to loading. If it is blocked, adjustments are made so the carton or tote can be loaded safely.

Lift

Each aisle has one lift for storage and retrieval. A double-deck version with two conveyors is available for applications that require maximum performance.

Transfer Conveyor

Transfer conveyors act as buffers between the lifts and shuttle vehicles. They are installed on each level of the customizable rack.

Software Warehouse Management System

CycloneCarrier comes with an application developed, Swisslog software.

Efficient storage and retrieval strategies trigger transport tasks for all movement of goods at the optimum time. In addition, the software application offers a number of general features including user management, bin location management, and interfaces to integrate CycloneCarrier with complementing subsystems. Visualization and statistics functions complete the application.

Control

CycloneCarrier’s lift, conveyor and shuttle movements are controlled by CycloneBox software. CycloneBox ensures that transport tasks are executed properly and monitors processes to guarantee optimized interaction between subsystems.

MHS, a single-source provider of material handling automation and software solutions, announces a new cross-belt sorter designed to handle small items. The HC-Loop Double Cell has an innovative design that uses sections of two cross-belt cells that can either work simultaneously to handle a single large item or independently to handle two smaller items and boost capacity.

Innovative design offers versatility to handle wide range of item sizes typical of e-commerce fulfillment and parcel distribution centers

The versatility of the double-cell design enables the sorter to handle items as small as 74.93-by-74.93-by-2.794 milimeters and as large as 849.884-by-649.986-by-649.986 milimeters. The HC-Loop Double Cell gives operations a solution to reliably handle small items like flyers, polybags and shoe boxes, while maintaining the flexibility to handle larger packages like electronics or office supplies.

The precise diverts of the HC-Loop Double Cell enables the use of narrower chutes to increase density and reduce the total footprint of the system, while achieving up to 99.99% sortation accuracy. An intelligent induction system works to increase the utilization of available sorter cells by booking them in advance for target parcels, helping operations reach a capacity of up to 4,500 parcels per hour using a single compact induction line.

Versatility in compact efficient package

“As operations face a demanding product mix and rising commercial real estate costs, the HC-Loop Double Cell sorter offers the versatility they need in a compact, efficient package,” says Luis Antezana Vila, Product Manager, Cross-Belt Systems, MHS. “But avoiding unplanned downtime is also critical. That’s why we’ve worked to establish strong component reliability and leverage sensor-based technology to predict and prevent unexpected outages.”

Sensors placed along the sorter track and within each cell constantly monitor overall system status and individual components. Through predictive analytics, MHS can detect when a failure might be imminent, based on data reaching pre-determined thresholds, and proactively alert maintenance teams to help avoid unnecessary downtime. The company provides local sales, support and service for implementations worldwide.